Finally more on our Xmas!

Photos:

1. Trying to make Latvian gingerbread cookies

2. Cengiz, Ange, Murat at the dinner table

3. Me and Emrah out in the snow

 I finally have found a bit of time to myself to sit and write up the recent happenings.  Aside from the first snowfall, and the second and third, we had a great Christmas party at my place on the 26th of December.  

About a month ago, the foreigners who are here were talking about Xmas plans, and we decided that we should have a dinner with our closest friends, and no Turkish food.  Everywhere you go, all you can find is Turkish food, and albeit it is tasty, it was time to change it up and put together a USA/New Zealand style Christmas dinner.  

Me and Angelique planned most of it, planning out food and decorations and gifts.  We wanted to enjoy a non-Turkish evening while also showing our Turkish friends the foods and traditions of our countries.  We decided to do the dinner at my new place, since I live alone and it is big enough for many guests.  We bought many lights, candles and other kitchy Christmas stuff to decorate my scrubby apartment, and the day before our dinner went to work decorating my tree (Emrah added a hockey glove as topper), putting up lights, setting out candles and scrounging together enough plates for 12 people.  

The day of the 26th was a whirlwind of cleaning, going to the salon for a haircut, more cleaning, and cooking of course.  I tried to make Latvian gingerbread cookies, but my little toaster oven (noone has real ovens here!!) quit on me halfway during first batch.  So i finished up the cookies on a makeshift oven that i made on the stove top by stacking a few pans together, and baking them on a pie tin.  But it worked out, and everyone got to have a taste.  After cookies, I made creamed carrots, stuffing, and gravy.  Then Ange came over with more food.... pasta salad, lettuce salad, roasted potatoes, onions, and pumpkin.  SInce there are no real oven available for our use we had to resort to ordering chickens from the local chicken shop.  A bit embarrassing, but with no oven, getting four spit-roasted delicious chickens delivered to our door for about $15 was a good deal.  

While me and Ange were busy in my tiny kitchen trying to get all the food warm and ready all at once, the beer and wine were flowing in my living room.  As soon as the chickens arrived, dinner was on the table and all of us sat down to eat.  Funny thing though, since we are used to sitting down and then passing the food around so everyone gets everything.  Here, our Turkish friends are not used to that, and so they pretty much just ate whatever was in front of them, and missed some of the things that may have been on the far end of the table.  But, really, we got good reviews, especially the roasted veggies, creamed carrots, and gravy.  It was nice to sit with so many friends from all over the world and especially to give our Turkish friends a different dinner experience.  We were 12 people in all... Me, Emrah, Angelique, Cengiz, Jim, Leen, Burc, Nazli, Teksin, Ozan, Irem, and Murat.

After dinner, we took a break, and just had a good time until it was time for gift opening.  We told everyone to bring two cheap gifts, and so the first round of gifts was just everyone picked one and opened it.  Second round, we taught them the white elephant gift game, where gifts can be stolen or traded.  They really enjoyed it, and many of the gifts were quite funny.  More hanging out, more drinks, and then dessert, which was cheesecake, sweat chestnuts, and fruit salad.  More drinks and good company followed, and people slowly headed home, with everyone gone by 4am.  

It was a great evening, of good food, good friends, good times.  We succeeded in bringing in the Christmas spirit to Turkey at least for a day, and we were lucky that it has snowed a bit each day over the past week, to give us a white Xmas.  The day after Xmas, Emrah and Leen helped with clean up, then we went out for a nice dinner.  That evening, it snowed again, so me and Emrah headed out for a late walk to play in the snow and throw some snowballs.  

Today it was back to normal life, with waking up late, going to the gym, and later I have hockey practice.  But tomorrow night (4:30am) we are heading out of town for some more holiday festivities!  Me, Emrah, Angelique, Cengiz, Jim, and Leen are going to Cappadocia, a three hour drive south.  It is a region with bizarre limestone formations, caves, etc.. Maybe a little bit similar to the badlands of South Dakota.  We will spend a few days there at a nice hotel, having good times and company and sightseeing and ring in the New Year!  It will be nice to get out of town and experience something new with good poeple.